Fender Console 1953 tuner pan repair

[Duane Becker]

I have a little single neck Fender Console. 10-53 written in red crayon on the wood under the tuner pan. String 8 gear is slipping and looks to be somewhat stripped. Also string 7 and 8 are loose from the solder. I could have the resoldering done but need to get that gear fixed on string 8. I've looked on ebay for parts, but none. Not sure how to disassemble either. Any suggestions or guys on here that I could send the tuner pan to for repair?

[K Maul]

Once those originals go bad it’s hard to bring them back. I have seen mandolin strip tuners used as replacements. You have to get the lollipop metal buttons off the originals, get the plastic buttons off the mandolin tuners and press the lollipops onto them. I had a friend who was a steel player and machinist do it.
Perhaps a ,local repair guy would take a shot at it. You wouldn’t have to deal with shipping, which is getting expensive.
Jim Palenscar in CA MAY be able to work on it. Wayne Brown possibly? Maybe they’ll see this or PM them for a quicker answer.

[Tony Oresteen]

A photo would help. Most likely you will have to buy a complete tuner pan with the tuners. I've been chasing Fender Stringmaster parts for 7 years now and I have never seen a single strip of lollipop tuners offered for sale. I have bought a complete pan & lolipop tuners for a 26" Stringmaster neck project.

A complete Fender Stringmaster 8 string tuner & pan are running $135 on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/135631036985?_ ... R9qwr8u2ZQ

This is the tuner for the second version of the Stringmaster, not the first version with "lollipop" tuners!


Kluson makes strips of 4 tuners for THEIR pans that MAY fit with modifications.

https://www.wdmusic.com/kluson-4-on-a-p ... tails.html

https://www.wdmusic.com/kluson-4-on-a-p ... tails.html

I have a couple of these Kluson sets in chrome, brand new, boxed, never used that I bought for a Stringmaster project but was able to find a pair of original tuners & pans at a good price so these have just sat. PM me if interested.

[Duane Becker]

Thanks for the replies. My tuner pan metal drops down over the back left end of the body.
Here is a pic:

IMG_7357.JPG

Tuners for strings 7 and 8 are also loose-and 8 is slipping.
I'm not finding any of these type of tuner pans for sale, really not opposed to buying a complete either, looks like some of the other styles of pans are running about hundred to hundred and fifty bucks. Money I can't afford to spend, but this is an old Fender steel!
You can't see any blemishes in the gears for number 8 but it slips, especially when tension is applied.
If anyone has any extra parts, in particular the little gear wheel that is held by the straight screw, I'd buy it from you just to see that that is the problem...

[Tim Whitlock]

This topic comes up regularly. Here's my story: I replaced two broken tuners on my '52 Custom with common strip tuners. I unsoldered the lollipop heads and the bad tuners, and took them down to my local guitar repair shop. The luthier had a coffee can full of old strip tuners. The only real requirement is that the shaft for the tuning button has to fit snugly in the hole in the lollipop head. We found a set that met the requirement and he didn't even charge me for it. After that it was a matter of cutting two of the tuners from the strip, soldering them in place and then soldering the lollipops on. It's not terribly difficult if you are handy at all. Strip tuners are not hard to find online, but again, the size of the tuning button shaft is critical. Good luck!

[Russ Blake]

Hey Duane, if you can’t find a local solution let me know. I have a small stash of those tuners. Are you coming to Portland anytime soon?

[Duane Becker]

Thanks for all the help. I appreciate it!
Russ I was not planning on coming down for the the next jam, too busy. But maybe we can get together with mail. I'll send you a pm. Thanks.